Video Clips

2010 Munich, 5 min sequence Music

2013 Darmstadt, 5 min sequence Wörter

Flüchtige Musik

&nbsp
The group ARGO was formed in 1985 in Darmstadt by Hans Essel, Marit Hoffmann
and Thomas Stett playing together since then. They do not follow traditional
ways of improvisation like any kind of Jazz, but develop a different concept
of improvisation not based on expressionistic ideas of music. First, they
worked out a very special characteristic of playing the instruments violin,
viola, and clarinet. It is based on permanent exploration and experimentation
with the instruments in a way that unexpected results can happen any time
and require fast response. The specific unpleasing sound is not used for
enhanced expression but rather for development of form.

Form, however, in
the context of improvisation and uncertaincy and not composition. Besides
mixing tones ARGO plays with parameters like consistency, density,
parallelism, intention and interaction. As there are phases where the
three play rather independently their own threads and sometimes very
synchronized intended actions forming recognizable objects. It was not
clear from the beginning if this concept evolving over years could lead
to a kind of unique music which can be understood by others.
The experiment is still under way.

Flüchtige Wörter

Since 1998 the group tries to realize the same ideas using voices only.
Not singing, not speaking, rather decomposing words, articulation of
phonemes, elements of speaking.